THE SMARTEST GIANT IN TOWN

By Julia Donaldson

George was a giant, the scruffiest giant in town. He

always wore the same pair of old patched-up gown.
“I wish I wasn’t the scruffiest giant in town”, he said
sadly.

But one day, George noticed a new shop. It was full

of smart clothes. So he bought…
A smart shirt, a smart pair of trousers, a smart Belt,
a smart stripy tie, some smart socks with diamonds
up the sides, and a pairo f smart shiny shoes.
“Now I’m the smartest giant in town,” he said
proudly.

Gerge Leith his old clothes venid in the shop. He

was about to go home when he heard a sound.
On the pavement stood a giraffe who was sniffing
sadly.
“What’s the matter?” asked George.
“It’s my neck,” said the giraffe.
“It’s so very long and so very cold”
“I wish I had a long warm scarf”
“Cheer up!” said George, and he took off his stripy
tie.
“It didn’t match my socks anyway,” he said, as he
wound it round and round the giraffe’s neck.
It made a wonderful scarf.
“Thank you!” said the giraffe.
As George strode towards home, he sang to himself,
“My tie is a scarf for a cold giraffe,
But look me up and down-
I’m the smartest giant in town.”
George came to a river. On a boat stood a goat who
was bleating loudly. “What’s the matter?” asked
George.
“It’s my sail,” said the goat.
“It blew away in a storm.”
“I wish I had a strong new sail for my boat!”
“Cheer up!”, said George. And he took off his new
white shirt.
“It kept coming untucked anyway,” he said, as he
tied it to the mast of the goat’s boat. It made a
magnificent sail.
“Thank you!” said the goat.
George strode on, singing to himself,
“My tie is a scarf for a cold giraffe,
My shirt’s on a boat as a sail for a goat,
But look me up and down-
I’m the smartest giant in town!”
George came to a tiny ruined house.
Beside the house stood a white Mouse with losts of
baby mice. They were all squeaking.
“What’s the matter?” asked George.
“It’s our house,” squeaked the mother mouse.
“It burned down, and now we have nowhere to live.
“I wish we had a nice new house!”
“Cheer up!” said George, and he took off one of his
shiny shoes. “It was living me blisters anyway,” he
said, as the Mouse and her babies scrambled inside.
The shoe made a perfect home for them.
“Thank you!” they squeaked.
George had to hop along the road now, but he didn’t
mind. As he hopped, he sang to himself,
“My tie is a scarf for a cold giraffe,
My shirt’s on a boat as a sail for a goat,
My shoe is a house for a little white mouse,
But look me up and down-
I’m the smartest giant in town!.”
George came to a campsite. Reside a tent stood a
fox who was crying.
“What’s the matter?” asked George.
“It’s my sleeping bag,” said the fox.
“I dropped it in a puddle.
“I wish I had a warm, dry sleeping bag!”
“Cheer up!” said George, and he took off one of his
socks with diamonds up the sides. “It was tickling
my toes anyway,” he said, as the fox snuggled into
it. It made a very fine sleeping bag.
“Thank you!” said the fox.
George hopped on, singing to himself,
“My tie is a scarf for a cold giraffe,
My shirt’s on a boat as a sail for a goat,
My shoe is a house for a little white mouse,
One of my socks is a bed for a fox,
But look me up and down-
I’m the smartest giant in town!.”
George came to a squelchy bog. Beside the bog
stood a dog who was howling.
“What’s the matter?” asked George
“It’s this bog,” said the dog.
“I need to get across, but I keep getting stuck in the
mud.
“I wish there was a safe, dry path.”
“Cheer up!” said George, and he took off his smart
new belt.
“It was squashing my tummy anyway,” he said, as
he laid it down over the bog. It made an excellent
path.
“Thank you!” said the dog.
The wind started to blow, but George didn’t mind.
He hopped on, singing to himself,
“My tie is a scarf for a cold giraffe,
My shirt’s on a boat as a sail for a goat,
My shoe is a house for a little white mouse,
One of my socks is a bed for a fox,
 My belt helped a dog who was crossing a bog,
But…
My trousers are falling down!
I’m the coldest giant in town!”
Suddenly George felt sad and shivery and not at all
smart. He stood on one foot and thought. “I’ll have
to go back to the shop and buy some more clothes,”
he decided.
He turned round and hopped all the way back to the
shop.
But when he got there, it was CLOSED!
“Oh, no!” cried George. He sank down onto the
doorstep and a tear ran down his nose. He felt as
sad as all the animals he had met on his way home.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a bag with
something familiar poking out of the top. George
took a closer look…
“My gown!” he yelled. “My dear old gown and
sandals!” Gerge put them on. They felt wonderfully
comfortable.
“I’m the cosiest giant in town!” he cried, an he
danced back home along the road.
Outside his front door stood all the animals he had
helped. Thay were carrying an enormous present.
“Come on, George,” they said. “Open it!”
George untied the ribbon. Inside was a beautiful
gold paper crown and a card.
“Look inside the card George!” said the animals.
George put the crown on his head and opened the
card.